Red Wine on a vanilla sky
by Atheniandream
Summary: He missed these little talks....
1. Default Chapter

Title: Red Wine on a Vanilla Sky  
  
Author: atheniandream/Jawbreakerchick/Paisleychick, my alter egos :)  
  
Email: atheniandream@aol.com  
  
Content Warnings: Love, fighting, torment and all kinds of crap. Little humour.  
  
Pairings: Daniel and jack Talking! And doing nothing else, S/J  
  
Spoilers: None...  
  
Season: Seven.   
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Summary: He misses these little chats of theirs...  
  
Author's notes: Got bored, and decided to write, whala!  
  
Archive: Sam and Jack please, Everywhere ANYWHERE, my sites broke!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING. I know this.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Red Wine on a Vanilla Sky  
  
--------------------------------------  
  
The sky is so beautiful.  
  
Like it's been painted up there, all twinkly and solitude.  
  
Especially before the sun actually sets, the sky stains amber, and the sun lies down in a lilac epiphany of Mother   
  
Nature itself.  
  
Of course, when you're actually up there, you can't see any of it.  
  
Not like it is down here.  
  
Up there, there's a lot of white.   
  
Yep, I tried not to be cliché, and failed. So what?  
  
I'm starting to understand why Jack made so many dumb ass 'Glowy' comments.  
  
Then again, that's Jack, and he's changed for it.  
  
A lot.  
  
The Real him has been muddled, mixed with brash comments and well thought through decisions.  
  
He has less feeling now. Or at the very least, he's trying desperately and painfully to hide it. His Passion is   
  
wavering, even now.  
  
And he's losing himself in something that'd be better left 'dis-used' and unresolved.  
  
But that *thing* has altered him.  
  
It started little, and has grown. Completely out of the control of anyone remotely involved.  
  
I see it, we all do. Teal'c and me mostly, just because we're there.  
  
We're meant to see *it*, and I don't doubt that Jonas saw it too.  
  
We see past them, past their covers, and past the looks, the frustrations.  
  
And right now,  
  
Past the argument.  
  
To be poetic: The cause of a hidden concern rotating almost as a lucid exasperation of a painful revelation.   
  
One cause after another, and it's hurt.  
  
This time, more her than him...  
  
Because he's bitten the bullet. Again, he's said too much, aggravated old wounds, until they've pored out   
  
like wine.  
  
Deep spilt Red wine, on a Vanilla sky...  
  
All because of late, she's been trying to move on.  
  
Trying so desperately to grasp something human and tangible.  
  
Something hers, and hers alone.  
  
That's why I'm out here.  
  
Because *he* is.  
  
And Because I couldn't face Sam. No one can.   
  
So, I gave the job to Teal'c.  
  
His silhouette is still and patchy against the view in front of him.  
  
And I try to get as close as humanly possible, when dealing with this kind of predator.  
  
Who'll bite if you're not careful.  
  
I bite back though...so I'm not that bothered.  
  
In pure O'Neill fashion, he's hunched over, arms folded, and his chin resting almost childishly against his right arm.  
  
He knows I'm here, and like a predator, he can smell his prey nearing...  
  
So I settle for a masculine none descriptive, ''Are you okay'....  
  
"Great View," Despite the lame attempt at anything conversation worthy, it seemed to trigger something.   
  
And instead of grunting like usual, he begins to speak.  
  
"Do you believe in all that 'soul mates' crap?" Okay.... a little strange and 'open' for Jack, but at   
  
least he's allowed me to sit beside him, and I do so.  
  
"Honestly? Yea. I think that despite loves and loss, there is at least one person out there who fits   
  
you Perfectly. Whether or not you end up crossing paths or wind up being allowed to be together is a   
  
different matter altogether.... I suppose it depends on chance..."  
  
I look at the way his face is pensive, wrinkling even more so in the almost dark and the scrutiny that   
  
the sky is under reflects in the black of his eyes.   
  
"I used to think that Sara was my soul mate, ya know?" I nod. "She was beautiful and smart and witty   
  
and we just meshed. But I s'pose that kinda love's s'pose to...just withstand all that...but when   
  
Charlie died, that sparkle went with it. Everything just died."  
  
"Maybe you couldn't help that, Jack, you know-"  
  
He interrupts, and I'm starting to feel as if his scrutiny is on me now.  
  
"I could have. I should have tried harder,"  
  
He paused for second, but it lasted for a lifetime into a silence.  
  
"Do you love her?"  
  
"Yea Daniel. I do."  
  
"Sara?" I correct.  
  
He looked up, blinking, acknowledging what I really meant, and he failed to make any excuses *this* time.  
  
"No, not any more. But no one says that I wouldn't still have. Had I made better decisions."  
  
"Jack, we can't turn back time. And god, I know that more than anyone. But you have to speak to her."  
  
He wriggles, he's getting a tad annoyed. I know this.  
  
"Daniel, I can't. Now stop tryin' to push the boat out, okay." His tone rectified any fears that old   
  
Jack was nowhere to be found, his agitation and defensiveness lacing his words.  
  
"I'm not pushin' the boat out. I just think that you need to talk-"  
  
"You're doing it again!" The finger pointing wasn't making any difference, so I continued.  
  
"*Talk* to her. Look, she feels the same, despite all this...'crap'. Now, *you've* got to be the one   
  
sort it. Otherwise you'll lose-"  
  
"Crap?"  
  
I roll my eyes at his insolence. Dam any woman stupid enough to face the path that Jack O'Neill in on.  
  
"Jack!" And I refuse to not get through this time. Resistance is futile!  
  
"Lose her, yea, yea I know. You really are a pain in the ass." In pure 'jack' he wrinkled his nose,   
  
almost snarling at me, as he bats my arm.  
  
I'd gotten to him, the grumpy love-laden son-of-a-bitch.  
  
Well, someone had too.  
  
He finally stands up, brushing off the grass from his legs, and sighed heavily.   
  
"Well, how do you I look?"   
  
"Absolutely dashing. Go get her tiger." I brush off his lapel, and he doesn't seem the least impressed. Amused even.  
  
"Bite me." He grumbles, walking past me. "Space monkey."  
  
"Glad I could help!" I shout behind. A finger is all that answers over his shoulder.  
  
Yea, I've missed these talks."  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"I think what he means Sir, is it's always better to have a big long wick...that was right wasn't it?"   
  
Absolute Power, Jack O'Neill, who never fails to make us giggle...like really giggle...in a sad and   
  
girly fashion, dammit. Which is why guys don't watch Sg-1. (Gonna get slated for that, hehe)  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
This'll probably be a sequel if I can manage it.  
  
And, if I get sufficient feed. (Giggle)  
  
Pwease?  
  
Athena "I've beta'd it, okay! It doesn't mean   
  
thier isn't still mistakes, becuase I AM a doofus!" 


	2. Red Wine on a Vanilla Sky 2 The SamTeal'...

Title: Red Wine on a Vanilla Sky-The T/S Talk.  
  
Author: atheniandream/Jawbreakerchick/Paisleychick, my alter egos :)  
  
Email: atheniandream@aol.com  
  
Content Warnings: Humour, Angst, Rom, Ya know, that old biscuit.  
  
Pairings: SJ, T-S Friendship....finally!! ;)  
  
Spoilers: None, but Daniel's back. (Sorry Jonas, Luv U!)  
  
Season: Seven.  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Summary: The Teal'c/Sam Talk. With additional grin.  
  
Author's notes: long awaited sequel, thanks to those who asked for it. Sorry it took  
  
So Long...g   
  
Archive: Sam and Jack please, Everywhere ANYWHERE, my sites broke!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING. I know this.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Red Wine on a Vanilla Sky-The Teal'c/Sam Talk. With additional grin.  
  
Part two, if you will.  
  
( and ) implied previous scene.  
  
------------------------------  
  
She was pacing, actually pacing. And swearing almost under her breath.  
  
But she couldn't help it.  
  
She couldn't help her anger at his words.  
  
She couldn't help that she'd retaliated at his accusations, and she couldn't help fade out how it felt.  
  
She couldn't even begin to think how he'd made her feel.  
  
Not that it was well hidden for sure.  
  
Guilt, mixed in with a roughness of pity, laced with pain and edged with passion.  
  
Passion for choice and fear of rejection and moving on and bedded lust and-  
  
("And I'm not s'pose to...FIGURE IN THIS! This magically perfect world, you seem to have rubbed me out of! "   
  
His eyes burnt and his mouth moved as if pain and blood where pouring from it.  
  
"Oh, and I'm s'pose to just ask you? Every time I make a decision in my life? Hey Jack. I'm thinking about   
  
getting on with my and dating someone. Are you OKAY WITH THAT!")  
  
She could do nothing but be sarcastic at that point.   
  
He was being so arrogant, and selfish, unthinking, everything, which she found impossible to paint him under,   
  
and it drove her fury to a depth where nothing else in her heart could bear to lie.  
  
The events kept playing in her mind, reiterating at the points where she'd seem to lose it, and lose and just-  
  
(He couldn't fight her back on that.  
  
And settled for a temporary mediating position.  
  
"Look, you know the situation. You could have at least said something! I AM your Superior Officer, and I think   
  
it's in my best-" She cut him off.  
  
"No, NO! DO NOT pull that rank crap with me Jack, you know well that,")  
  
He didn't need to know. It wasn't his business; it was hers and she was sticking to that.  
  
But he'd reciprocated. Throwing back the punches as well as he could receive them, and it startled her.  
  
It startled her that that he could talk so much, to reveal so much about himself.  
  
Well, about anything serious and private, and 'them' related.  
  
His odd spoken words drove her to a place, dull and confusion, where she couldn't bite back and defend herself.  
  
(His eyes had almost dissolved in the sockets at her calling him Jack. But he was to hurt, and the   
  
Stubbornness was trying to desperately to regain control. "Look you should have thought about how it affected   
  
other people. You should have told me." For a moment any anger curled up and left a shy exterior, but   
  
Sam was far too irate now for him to just win by being calm.   
  
"How? How, I'm 'I' supposed to know, huh? You don't say anything! Colonel Jack 'hide everything from everybody'   
  
O'Neill'.  
  
Don't for one second reveal any feeling! Oh no, anything that might hint that hints at the slightest indication   
  
of you caring about anyone in any other way than a friend!")  
  
She'd exhaled.  
  
More in defeat than anything else, and she felt what it was like to regret. Everything, from the very   
  
heart and soul of the matter.   
  
But she wasn't ready.  
  
Not for the next.  
  
("Okay, you want, huh? Everyday, I have to command my friends under the notion that I may be in love with one of them.  
  
That I am breaking a regulation, one of many that could end several careers and destroy the world. Because   
  
that what it'll take for 'this'."  
  
And it's not Teal'c.")  
  
She'd frozen then.   
  
The gooseflesh on her skin stood in recollection.  
  
He hadn't finished, far from it...  
  
(I have to come to work, and see you get hurt and stop myself from beating the crap out of the guy that   
  
did it to ya.   
  
I have to sit there, when you cry because Daniel's dead, I can't even touch you and comfort you. And   
  
I have to live with the notion that how ever hard I try, one day you might not come back through that gate damn gate.   
  
So I'm sorry Carter, I apologize." and the sarcasm cut...)  
  
She must have still been silent, because there wasn't a word coming out her end and he'd left already.  
  
For some reason she followed suit, and pace in that complete opposite direction.  
  
So she end up here...  
  
"Major Carter?"  
  
And of course, Teal'c was already here.  
  
Had been since she first fled.   
  
They hadn't sought refuge for their dispute in private; they'd done the interesting thing of displaying it.  
  
And in the style of a play, if you will care to imagine.  
  
"Yea?" she stopped, turning towards him and chewing the top of her thumb, as he sat on a broken log.  
  
Somewhere between that ten minutes of pacing, his legs had gotten tired, and...well, he'd opted for a seat.   
  
Legs were getting tired.  
  
"Are you alright? You have pacing for quite some time."  
  
"Not really." She half smiled, and sat next to him. "I'm just," She gestured in the, which oddly turned   
  
out look something between 'egg yolk' and 'coconuts'  
  
"Confused?"  
  
"Yep." She answered quickly, returned the thumb to her mouth, and looking at the floor.   
  
"Do you think I was out of line?" She asked the friend. He was good with advice.  
  
"If we are talking matters between O'Neill and yourself Major Carter, then they cannot be defined as   
  
'Out of line', as they are already out of 'the' line, as you call it."  
  
"Good point." She drew into a black silence.  
  
"Do you love him?"  
  
Her eyes immediately flashed towards his blank expression, which considering it blank, held a lot of meaning.  
  
Her hands came in a remembered contact with her hair.  
  
"God, I don't know. I have a boyfriend and," She looked up as his large hand rested lightly on her shoulder.  
  
"You do not have to lie with me Major Carter. You hold my attention as well as my confidence."  
  
"I wouldn't feel this way if I didn't. Would I?"  
  
"I am as certain of that, as I am of the knowledge that O'Neill, although not well spoken in the matter,   
  
only holds such anger and roughness with the situation because he does no feel so different to you.   
  
Even when he is stubborn and...what is the term...pig-headed?"   
  
She smiled at him. The first real smile all day and approaching a Cheshire cat impersonation.   
  
It was a shame that it didn't glow in the dark really, would have looked pretty cool.   
  
"You know what? Girlfriends are so overrated."  
  
And for the first time in history, Teal'c grinned. Especially for this moment. He'd been saving it actually.   
  
"No, I was not Aware of that Major Carter. Thank you for enlightening me."  
  
"So I should talk to him?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"But sometimes, he's just so,"  
  
"Pig-headed?" They chuckled quietly.  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
"Uh, Teal'c..." And here arrives the pig-head.  
  
There stood the object of the argument, affection and disturbance. Colonel Jack 'twitchy' O'Neill.  
  
Sam immediately took a quieter defence, stiffening at the sight of him standing before the two of them.  
  
Teal'c didn't have to be told once.   
  
He bowed and made his exit.  
  
"O'Neill. Major Carter."  
  
And then there were two.  
  
~~~  
  
She stood, folded arms and glassy of complexion. Mouth Shut.  
  
He stood, Arms twitching, Eyes wandering. Hunched.  
  
"So."  
  
"So?"  
  
TBC  
  
------------------------------  
  
  
  
Nothing can come close, to this familiar feeling,  
  
You say it all without ever speaking,   
  
Nothing can come close, to this familiar feeling,  
  
You say it all without ever speaking, ---- Chorus of 'Familiar Feeling, by Moloko.  
  
~~~~  
  
Like?  
  
No Like?  
  
Well, if you want a sequel you'll have to feed. Really.  
  
Please.  
  
Please...?  
  
Athena   
  
www.fanfiction.com/~Atheniandream 


	3. Red Wine on a Vanilla SkyPart 3

Title: Red Wine on a Vanilla Sky-Part 3  
  
Author: atheniandream/Jawbreakerchick/Paisleychick, my alter egos :)  
  
Email: atheniandream@aol.com  
  
Content Warnings: Love, fighting, torment and all kinds of crap. Little humour.  
  
Pairings: S/J  
  
Spoilers: Not in this part. Maybe in the future ones though...  
  
Season: Seven.   
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Summary: Third part of the story. When worlds collide.  
  
Author's notes: Got bored, and decided to write, whala!  
  
Archive: Sam and Jack please, Everywhere ANYWHERE, my sites broke!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING. I know this.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Red Wine on a Vanilla Sky-Part Three  
  
Dedicated to MRU1980, thanks for the muse!! ;-)  
  
  
  
========  
  
When the storm is brewing, and you don't take the road less travel...  
  
~~~  
  
"So."  
  
"So?"   
  
They both just stood there.   
  
Looking at each other.  
  
Not looking at each other.  
  
Finally, one of them had the courage to resolve the silence.  
  
And look which Colonel took 'stand' first...  
  
"I think we should, talk."  
  
"Talk? Okay, talk away..." Could her sarcasm hit at a better point?  
  
Feeling as if he'd been slapped into the deep end with less than twenty/twenty vision as a great   
  
white pursued him, could not explain the look on his face...  
  
"Look, if you want to break it down, this is all your fault. If you had said something in the-"  
  
His tirade of explanation, Served at that moment, to rudely strike an even worse note than it had earlier.  
  
His eyes blackened in fear of her searing and frankly, unwelcoming stare.   
  
"What?" Her voice was now deadened and low as it ground against her back teeth like it were steel.  
  
Not that he was listening. "Hmm?"  
  
"My fault? You think this is all *my* FAULT??? You. Are. AN. ASSHOLE! Do you understand that?"  
  
Before he could even process the attempt to retaliate, she pursued.  
  
"You come here, and for what? What do you hope to accomplish, huh? You wanna resolve this? Because   
  
I have seen no evidence of that, Mr."  
  
She started to move closer, every small step, made him jump skin as she continued.  
  
"You wanna start another fight! Do you think, for one second, Colonel Jonathon O'Neill, that you are up   
  
to the challenge?"  
  
She was now pointing the finger; every inch of her usual bronzed face was turning from a crimson   
  
colour to the brightest 'bull' red he'd ever seen.  
  
"Because I know you! I know that you are not half as tough as you make out!"  
  
Trying not to fixate on the how the words make' and 'out' were so...  
  
"Huh!" She taunted him.   
  
And how she'd managed to smooth them in, making it sound so...  
  
"WELL?" She tried to provoke something worth fighting with, but,  
  
"Come on Mr tough-shot, show me what you're made of because I am-"  
  
"You don't know how tough I make out!" His outburst was short lived.  
  
She hissed at him.  
  
She actually, down right hissed at him.  
  
Hunching her shoulders, whitening her eyes, she hissed at him.  
  
If that was a strong attempt to raise his anger levels, then Sam was right on the button.  
  
For: 'The bull that hath been shown the red rag, hath venom to bite with also'  
  
"Carter! Maybe I remind you that you're the one with the boyfriend! Okay? This is not just my fault."   
  
He tried to end his point on a less threatening medium. As well as a less masculine note.  
  
However, long story short-It didn't have a 'rat's ass' chance of working.  
  
And therefore failed.  
  
"You know what Jack?" And there went the pointing finer at full propulsion. "You're right!   
  
Every time, you're right! You were right about 'everything. Is that good enough? Because I'm   
  
sorry if for once I tried at something tangible that wasn't you. I'm sorry, if I tried to make   
  
something work that wasn't, that wasn't some lame attempt at misplaced sarcasm and an agitation of life!"  
  
"I'll have you know that my sarcasm is excellently placed!"  
  
"You're not normal!!"  
  
"Oh! That's peachy coming from Ms-I-must-spend-every-possible-moment-in-life-studying-little-weird-balls-of-metal."  
  
"I'm a astrophysicist! That's what we do! You don't listen to anything I say?"  
  
"Do you have breasts?"  
  
Uh-oh.  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
How he managed to avoid a hint of sarcasm and push straight to sexism and chauvinistic disrespect eluded them both.   
  
Now she was, almost, without a shadow of a doubt officially stalking him.   
  
Her finger came out at full swing once more, and behind it pace Major Carter to one,  
  
Damned,  
  
Scared,   
  
Colonel.  
  
"I just meant that it had to be obvious." His hands took refuge in his pockets, and if she'd been   
  
the opposite of he current state right now, i.e. happy, as apposed to livid, she probably would   
  
have kissed him just by his boyish look alone.   
  
But unfortunately he'd pissed her just a tad past the 'ok' point, right the 'not okay' point.  
  
Her tone became so intimately laced, and woven into her feelings, that it scared him now, joking and sarcasm aside.   
  
She wasn't just out to vent frustrations, because he'd never know her to be mad.  
  
This had to be lower than just 'boyfriend' issues, and the mood had set accordingly as if the sky   
  
around them was laying and delighting in their display.  
  
"It's like you don't,"  
  
She was getting closer, now, one fist clenched in tight swollen ball as the other pointed, led her.   
  
Her eyes dulled in the glare that surrounded them.  
  
"Even care. Like you think I don't care. Look, I didn't want to change things, but I had to." At that   
  
the expression in her voice lingered, colouring him officially scared and unaware of her. "Aren't you   
  
tired of going to bed alone?"  
  
She was now less than a metre away from him, and god he smell her...  
  
"Of having no one to share your day with?"  
  
His eyes focused on her lips, and how the roundly each-little-word-  
  
Perfectly.  
  
"Of having that thing, that no one else has?"  
  
A blurring toxicity emulated from her breath boring holes into his brain.  
  
He was starting to get the idea, that not just hathor had the 'control' thing down...   
  
He almost felt the air around her chest move, lips pursing. Making him ache.  
  
Making completely   
  
Under,   
  
The  
  
Control  
  
Of   
  
Her  
  
Spell.  
  
"He's asked me to move in with him."  
  
Silence once again, like always, cloaked them both into submission, but the scenery   
  
around them didn't take their eyes away from an inevitable...  
  
"I hope you live happy ever after."   
  
He shouldn't have spat the words out.  
  
That was the wrong card to play...   
  
Without a blink, her left fist flew with every inch of power and passion and hatred,   
  
distain, anger, shock and pure terror than she could will, and with every ounce calm   
  
intention he stopped her, his rough hand clenching at her wrist until it lost itself   
  
in limp effect as he claimed her mouth too quickly and smoothly for her to react.  
  
Her head jolted, backing away from him as he kept hold of the wrist.   
  
She faltered almost instantly, her eyes watering and shining around the brims.  
  
"Are you guys okay?" Daniel entered the vicinity, Followed by Teal'c, whom together   
  
possessed an obvious bad timing to match the bad moment, and bad feelings, and   
  
everything that was definably bad about the situation.  
  
They hadn't been looking at anything else, eyes still fixed, teeth clenched, until she   
  
wrenched her hand from his grip.  
  
"We're fine." Behind gritted and vicious expression, she got the hell out of there.  
  
Behind her, Daniel And Teal'c immediately turned to Jack.  
  
"Don't say a word." He hissed. "Don't say anything."  
  
Tbc  
  
~~  
  
'On and on from the moment I wake,  
  
To the moment I sleep,  
  
I'll be there by your side,  
  
Just you try and stop me,  
  
I'll be waiting in line,  
  
Just to see if you care.'~~ From 'Shiver' By Coldplay, the song that wrote this fic...  
  
Of course it wasn't me...  
  
~~  
  
The fourth part, Ah-hoy-hoy...  
  
You like?  
  
Feed anyway,   
  
Athena   
  
"Oh, I'm a poetician. It's like a politician except we use words for expression   
  
and not as Bullsh*t."-Athena 


	4. Red Wine on a Vanilla Sky Part Four

Part Four-Red Wine on a Vanilla Sky.  
  
Set several weeks after the 'incident'  
  
So, they hadn't talked.  
  
No declarations of love and resignations.  
  
No figuring out 'Why?' or 'How?'  
  
They hadn't talked.  
  
Which brings me onto the other point,   
  
That they HAD NOT TALKED.   
  
At all.  
  
Hell, why should she bother? He'd annoyed her to the core so much of actually contemplating handing   
  
in her notice just so she could kick him repeatedly in the soft part of his anatomy, finally resulting   
  
in making him cry with submission-Like a baby, she hoped.  
  
In fact, as one annoyed and silently fuming Major does, she'd been avoiding any kind of banter   
  
whatsoever. And in the rough patches she'd received what could only be described as a kind of 'divert of conversation';   
  
played on part by both Teal'c and Daniel any time that the Colonel tried to talk to her. Or even hint at talking to her.  
  
Which pissed him off no end.   
  
So, they hadn't talked...  
  
The tapping of his fingers was starting to agitate her. Quite a bit.  
  
No, strike that. 'Annoy', would be a better description.  
  
So, being as Carter was, she took the opportunity to glare between her explanations,  
  
As to why they had arrived three days early of their jaunt to P3X-227 and bring back with them a-  
  
"Rock, Major?"  
  
Yes. A rock.  
  
"Yes-"   
  
Jack immediately and ever so rudely cut in. "It's a big one sir. I did mention to Carter, that   
  
it was a little over exuberant of both her and Daniel to suggest removing it from it's happy home,   
  
but they were just so darn eager." He turned his nose up at the notion, a further reminder of his   
  
initial tire at their finding, as well as their stubbornness to get it through the gate in the first place.  
  
Apparently, Daniel had discovered the 'wait for it'; energy emulating from the rock, that both him and Carter   
  
decided that instead of taking a specimen back with them, like any normal geeks, that they would trudge the   
  
whole darn thing back.  
  
Something about uh...  
  
"-And as you can see General, we're all very interested to hear just what kind of energy the artefact   
  
does possess." Carter eventually finished, with a few nods from Daniel, and a couple of eyebrows   
  
from Teal'c. Not to mention one big-ass glare toward a certain member of the table.   
  
"Well Major, I'll expect a full report on the matter, by Friday. Otherwise, dismissed."   
  
Before jack could carefully manoeuvre his way to the door, using a few well-trained skills, he was caught.   
  
"Colonel, I trust that you can provide me with a report of your views on the matter?"  
  
Rocking on the back on his heels, he mumbled in a lame and monotone defence.   
  
"Oh Sir, it that really necessary. Carter and Daniel have got it covered-,"   
  
"Monday morning colonel." He stressed.  
  
"Bright and early." Jack managed a smile through gritted teeth at the notion of   
  
having to spend his entire weekend writing crap.  
  
Oh crap.  
  
Happy crap.  
  
Happy crappy-  
  
"Oh, and Colonel? I liked to discuss a matter with you. Come to my office at...13:00 Hours?"  
  
"On the dot Sir."  
  
Oh, this was gonna be fun...heaps of 'fun' all strung together and...   
  
13:00 hours.   
  
Jack counted down the seconds on the clock hanging above him,  
  
Three...Two...One.   
  
Knock.  
  
He hesitated, before walking in to his Co's office.   
  
"Sir? You wanted to see me?"  
  
"Yes Jack. Have a seat."  
  
Once sitting comfortably, he continued. "So, Sir?"  
  
"I'll get down to the matter. I trust that there's some friction between you and Major Carter, of late?"  
  
"Uh friction...Sir?" Rubbing the back of his neck, Jack was starting to have   
  
an inkling as to just where this conversation was gonna go. And it wasn't   
  
somewhere he'd like to venture any time soon judging by past experiences alone.  
  
"Listen Colonel, what ever may or may not be going on, I suggest that you tread carefully-"  
  
"With all due respect Sir, nothing is going on." Okay, that was a slight fabrication of the truth, sure.   
  
"Jack. I may lend both Major Carter and Yourself flexibility in matters from time   
  
to time, which may need extra attention. But may I stress the fact that the Kinsey   
  
and other representatives in our government today, are just looking for a choice opportunities to shut down the SGC."  
  
How could he respond to a point like that? So what? The fate of the World   
  
rested on him and Carter? Like that didn't happen every minute of every day of every-  
  
Leaning forward, Hammond lowered his tone. "Fix it Jack. Don't give *anyone* the opportunity to suspect."  
  
He knew what he meant.  
  
It didn't take another telling.  
  
"Yes Sir, you can count on m-  
  
The Alarm couldn't of sounded at a more appropriate time.  
  
TBC  
  
Sorry, I've been so long about it, I've had a few family events, ya know, you tend to slack a little ;)  
  
Athena 


	5. PART FIVE: Red Wine on a Vanilla Sky: Ti...

Title: Red Wine on a Vanilla Sky: Time will tell  
  
Author: Athena.   
  
Email: atheniandream@aol.com  
  
Content Warnings: Drama, angst.uh?   
  
Pairings: Dunno. Read it.  
  
Spoilers: None? Is that right?  
  
Season: Seven  
  
Rating: PG13   
  
Summary: The Final PART of the fic.  
  
Author's notes: Sorry, it's short. It might not be bet'd either....  
  
Archive: Anywhere. I'm my own publicist.   
  
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING. I know this.  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
Thanks to all who have fed, sorry to those who have had to wait...  
  
-------------  
  
Red Wine on a Vanilla Sky: Time will tell  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
'The chef prepares a special menu for your delight, oh my  
  
Tonight you fly so high up in the vanilla sky  
  
Melted tinbeads cast your fortune in a glass of wine  
  
Snail or fish, balloon or dolphin, see yourself shine' ~~~ 'Vanilla Sky, By Paul McCartney.   
  
The verse that made this story, thanks Paul...  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
It hadn't been the catastrophic event that'd he'd hoped for.  
  
No Impending Goa'ould attack or Doomed earth knocking at the gate. Not even so much as a memo to say 'Danger' on a paint tin, so that he could smile and offer his sarcastic comments, to alleviate the pressure when Carter once again saved the day, much to his constant annoyance,  
  
Instead, Nothing.  
  
In fact, the alarm sounding was nothing more than a sprained ankle too many, I mean the least excitement they could have tossed him was a broken leg. Geeze, it wasn't too much to ask, you know, just maybe a little event to take his mind off...well...*her*.  
  
HER.  
  
Now, Her, seeming bitter, as the word reluctantly rolled off of his tongue. Not so much curled off as leaving a bitter aniseed taste to hang around his tonsils, instead of Her.  
  
And as one Jack O'Neill winced in the misty steamed mirror, playing with limp strands of his hair. Occasionally re-wrapping the towel around his waist from his not so distant shower, he winced again.  
  
He could do nothing else.  
  
Except think, muse and play with the idea, that in the morning, this morning, she wasn't in her bed alone, sleep laden and tousled.  
  
Because she was with HIM.  
  
HIM. The other guy.  
  
That man who wasn't him, and therefore did not deserve a title of any kind for that matter.  
  
And JUST because he didn't talk about her didn't and doesn't JUST mean that he didn't want to.  
  
Or didn't care.  
  
For Crying' out loud, that was never the damn point.  
  
And he should have kissed her. Even if he shouldn't and can't, he wanted to.  
  
He shouldn't have dicked around with the idea. I should have been an impulse, a common reaction, and a smooth displacement of words...  
  
Just for the single reason that women shone when they were angry and he along with the rest of the male population knew it. Their faces seemed to flash, dark and dangerous when angered. But underneath, underneath a glow, distained perfection swelled there. Which was probably why men pushed their luck so often...  
  
Still. He should have kissed her.   
  
Maybe...she'd have kissed him back...  
  
Or beaten him some more.... whatever...  
  
He just wanted.... CONTACT...  
  
Of any kind.  
  
------------------------------  
  
This is your time  
  
This is your day  
  
You've got it all  
  
Don't blow it away ~~~~ "Okay, now you're just taking lines right out of the song!"   
  
----------------------------------  
  
"Thanks." Sam answered to her mailman before closing the door with her foot as she turned, making her way into the kitchen.  
  
It didn't shut.  
  
She turned to look around,   
  
The gasp didn't come from he lips though...  
  
"Jack...No." He arms immediately leapt from her sides.  
  
"Carter, I-" So did his.  
  
"I declined his invitation."   
  
"What?" He stopped thinking, completely. "What?"  
  
"I said no. To his proposal."  
  
"Oh." He couldn't have been more relieved, but chose to at least ask why before jumping to premature and overly simple conclusions. "Why?"  
  
"Truthfully. I don't know." She hugged the baggy parts of her bathrobe, teasing at the towelled threads as she slowly made her way to the lounge.   
  
He calmly sat down on the armchair opposite her, watching her expressions solidify. "So, what about us?"  
  
"I guess, Time will tell."  
  
There couldn't have been a worse answer than that. It created a grey area. And only highlighted the one that had been there in the first place. Which annoyed him a tad, for sure, still. It could be worse...  
  
"I handed in my resignation today." He admitted quietly to the floor, not meeting her gaze, but not avoiding it with the trepidation that he had before.   
  
He'd thought long and hard about it, and sooner or later they would have ''desked'' him. But he'd talk, in length with Hammond, and he wasn't going to keep him out of the dark, that was for sure, even though Jack had declined the off-world post, he'd even, much to Jack's surprise, invited him to come along in the future; just in case he was needed for any special reasons, then he'd communicate a pass his way, which made him feel better. Now all he was looking for was her direction. He'd follow any day. After all just because he'd retired, didn't mean I 'Grand Stargate World' that the Asgard, or Tok'ra would let him retire in the human and 'Earth-bound' sense.  
  
So he waited. Studying her face, which soon blank that the fact that she wasn't even making a face.  
  
She seemed calm, serene, tranquil, obviously beautiful but yet complacent, as if it was effortless.  
  
And it did seem effortless, for her to just sit there, drinking that tea that he'd placed earlier and keep him so still and silent, waiting on her every breath and movement for a reply.  
  
"Sam?"  
  
Her eyes were steely, but not angered. And she wasn't going to move an inch. Maybe it was best that she didn't, just because the urge to kiss her would have buried him six feet under, especially knowing what he knew now.  
  
And why did she refuse the proposition?  
  
The more naïve and pig-headed reply to that question wasn't half as satisfying as it was appealing.  
  
He wait and waited, as thought time itself was buried beneath a piles of her answers, waiting to burst fourth and smack him in the face. Oddly he welcomed it, if not to soothe his waiting.  
  
Finally, she looked ready to answer him.   
  
"Time will tell, Jack, time will tell."  
  
---------------------------  
  
Poetry Lacks in it's own splendour,   
  
And forgets to tell of time itself,  
  
And all the love in the world diminished,   
  
If not added to its spiteful wealth,   
  
The world be woken at an unholy hour,   
  
Thought forgotten in the arms of love,  
  
Until bursting as an open flower,   
  
Plucked, it flies and soars above...   
  
-------------------  
  
The End. If they're ever is one...  
  
-------------------  
  
Sorry to leave you guys on the end there....  
  
I didn't want to go the way of many writers and give you cliché; you're in the wrong place if you want that ;)  
  
Feedback is like gold. Completely pure, unattainable and Yes please.  
  
Athena 


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